The present invention relates generally to application software testing. More particularly, the present invention relates to collecting test data representing the operation of the software, tester interactions with the software, and computer status, including interactions with external devices such as printers, during testing, as well as presenting the test data to developers of the software.
Software testing is a critical but time-consuming task involving testers and developers. When a tester encounters a problem the first step is to document the problem so a developer can reproduce the problem. If the developer cannot reproduce the problem it is unlikely the problem will be fixed. When testers and developers are located in the same location, they at least have the opportunity to work together to try to find a way to reproduce the problem. Such interaction can help the developer but is time consuming, taking the tester away from the work of testing. When testers are located away from developers, it may be impossible for the developer to work efficiently with the tester to reproduce the problem. What is needed no matter where the testers are located is a tool so developers can see the tester's interaction with the program leading up to the problem.